Katsuhiko Higuchi

It is sad having to inform you that our Camellia friend, Katsuhiko Higuchi, the past regional director of Japan and Other Asian Regions, passed away on November 30th at the age of 81.  He was born at Tobata city (now Kita-Kyushu city), Fukuoka Pref. on Jan. 13th, 1942.  

He loved camellias since he was young. When he was the director of the Genkai Nuclear Power Plant of Kyushu Electric Power Company, he founded a camellia garden on the premises, established the Genkai Branch of the Japanese Camellia Society as the president, and registered a new cultivar ‘Awayuki (淡雪)’.  He organized a Tsubaki Summit (Japanese Camellia Festival) in Saga Pref. and invited late Ms. Toko Adachi, a famous master of ‘Kagei Adachi-ryu (花芸安達流)’, one of Japanese Flower Arrangement Societies and the president of Japanese Camellia Society at that time to perform a flower arrangement show.

He used to be a director of the International Camellia Society from 2015 to 2022. During the time he played an important role for preparing the Goto International Camellia Congress in 2020, though it was cancelled due to the Corona virus. 

He passed away on November 30, 2023 after a year-long battle with kidney disease and 3 months hospitalization.

Our sincere condolences will be passed on to his family.

From L to R: Prof. T.Tanaka, Mr. K.Higuchi, Mrs and Mr. Guan Kaiyun (ICS, Immediate Past President)